Two Trenton factory buildings destroyed in four-alarm blaze

TRENTON — City firefighters battled an early morning blaze in a vacant warehouse on Taylor Street Saturday.

According to Battalion Chief Ron Kostyu, a 100-by-200 building was fully engulfed upon their arrival around 3:50 a.m. in the 100 block of Taylor Street.

The raging fire escalated to four-alarms, calling in the whole of the city’s fire department.

“They could see the flames and smoke from the street,” Kostyu said.

The blaze was particularly tricky to fight based upon where the initial blaze began deep inside the complex, Kostyu said.

The fire extended into a second building and eventually to a third at 319 North Olden Avenue, but not before crews could knock the flames down.

Fire crews managed to keep the blaze from extending into the building on North Olden, which was used to store furniture, Kostyu told The Trentonian. The furniture warehouse sustained smoke and water damage, but escaped the brunt of the blaze. The fire was placed under control at 6:23 a.m., Kostyu said.

The two vacant properties are considered a total loss, with the initial fire building collapsing.

Kostyu commended fire crews for their efforts saying they did a “tremendous job” and recalled that there hasn’t been a fire in the city of this magnitude for some time.

Mutual aid was called in from the Slackwood Fire Company, Prospect Heights and Lawrence Fire Company.

Late Saturday afternoon, ash could still be seen being carried along by the wind down Taylor Street while crews remained on scene to hit any hot-spots that may flare up. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.